The present invention relates to an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact to a vehicle and/or a vehicle rollover.
It is known to inflate a vehicle occupant protection device to help protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision. One particular type of inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is an inflatable curtain that inflates from the roof of the vehicle downward inside the passenger compartment between a vehicle occupant and the side structure of the vehicle in the event of a side impact or rollover. Such an inflatable curtain is inflated from a deflated condition by inflation fluid directed from an inflator to the inflatable curtain through a fill tube.
The present invention relates to an apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof. The apparatus includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device that is inflatable in a first direction away from the vehicle roof into a position between the side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant. An inflation fluid source provides inflation fluid for inflating the protection device. An elongated member is connected to the side structure and has a first end, an opposite second end and a length measured between the first and second ends. An element is connected to the protection device and at least partially encircles the elongated member along a portion of the length of the elongated member. The element is slidable along the elongated member in the first direction when the protection device is inflated. The element includes at least one portion that engages the elongated member and blocks the element from sliding along the elongated member in a direction opposite the first direction.